At Dusk I am Complete
by Candidus Casus
Summary: The Cullens move away from Forks, and Renesmee has to deal with some life-changing... well, changes. R/J, R/someone else. Rating changed to 'M!
1. Chapter 1

"_Nessie!" Jacob cried in terror, already shaking and blurring at the edges. He was going to try and save me. _

_My Jacob. _

"_Jake." I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. Please stop, I wanted to say. _

_I tried to move, tried to go to him to tell him it's okay. I wanted to tell him that I had chosen… But it was too late. I was already dying. _

~*~

My eyes snapped open with a start. I gasped for air, desperately trying to shake the horrible dream out of my head. Sitting up slowly, I strained my senses for anything unusual. Nothing. Silence. Though, if anything dangerous to me were around, I would not be able to hear it anyway, I thought bitterly.

I am Renesmee Cullen. Half-human. Crossbreed. Freak.

It's complicated. My mother, Bella, is a young vampire. She was changed after I was born, nearly 6 years ago. My father, Edward, has been a vampire for a lot, lot longer. I am one of only a handful of 'people' like this. I guess that's why the Volturi are always so interested in me, summoning me for visits, and turning up here uninvited. I know everyone gets jittery when it happens, and I know why, though they won't admit it. My aunt Alice cannot _see_ what they are planning when it comes to me. She cannot see my future at all. The whole family get anxious when I get an invite, and I know that they think I'm in danger. Jacob is the worst. Again. It's complicated.

It's not all bad, though. For a 6 year old, I'm big. And I don't mean big-boned, I mean I look like the average 16 year old, and I think like one too. Well, maybe not the average one. I grow up fast. Next year, I'll be fully grown, like a human adult. Then I'll just stop aging.

"Nessie?"

I jumped, startled. Of course my father would have been listening to my thoughts. He has a special talent. He reads peoples minds. I kind of do the opposite.

"You had a bad dream?" He whispered. Was that worry I detected in his voice? I could only see his rough outline in the darkness. My eyes were a better than the average humans, but not as good as a vampires.

I nodded. _You know I hate it when you do that, Dad. _

"Sorry Ness. I kind of could not help it. The dream seemed so real in your thoughts, I was not sure it was a dream."

Well, worry over. Are you gonna keep butting in when I start dreaming about Jake?

I watched him flinch with some satisfaction. He had never quite gotten used to the idea that Jake and I belonged together, in more ways than one. It was all because of the ancient magic that made Werewolfs inprint. I could only imagine my fathers horror when his greatest enemy (because that's what werewolves used to be to vampires) had inprinted on his daughter. Until now, Jacob and I had remained friends, or bonded family, or whatever you'd call it. But I was practically an adult now, and I had started to feel the inevitable attraction to my soul mate. It didn't help that, a little over a week ago Jake had refused to sleep in my room for the first time. He had said it was "not right for the moment". And he had a strange look in his eye for the first time, like he was seeing a completely new me. His bed (there was a spare bed for him in my room) had been empty since, and our time spent together, always so comfortable before, had grown more and more tense.

"Get some sleep, sweet. Your mother and I have something to tell you tomorrow." His voice sounded tense.

_Great. Now I'm really going to sleep well. Thanks Dad. _

I heard a quiet chuckle, and then he was gone. Great. Why did I have to be the only damn person that needed sleep?

* * *

**Authors note: **

**_A little teaser chapter for you all Updates should arrive fairly regularly, so long as people enjoy the story. Though, I may write and post it even if people don't enjoy it – I'm enjoying writing it! Hehe. My first fic here, so be kind please!_**

**_Sara x_**


	2. Chapter 2

"We're – what? Why?" I gaped in open confusion at my family. My mother with her little sad smile, and my dad, with his jaw firmly set. Jake nodded his head and flashed me one of his crooked smiles. There would be no arguing with them. They had clearly discussed this in a lot of detail.

"You need to start mixing with some kids your own age, honey." My mother patted my knee gently.

I had a vision of my body in a kindergarten playground, playing with kids my 'own age', and felt an uncontrollable urge to giggle.

"There's only so much I can teach you, Ness. You need to go to highschool now like everyone else. It will be good for you to meet some people." My dad looked amused at my mental picture of the playground. I had been homeschooled until now. It was kind of difficult to not attract attention to the family, when I grew so quickly. But now I had a 16 year-old body and a mind to match, and I was aging slowly enough not to attract attention.

"So… why can't we stay in Forks?"

"Sweetheart. We have been here too long now – people have started to notice that we aren't getting any older. We have no cover left." I noticed my dad give my mother's hand a small squeeze. This was not easy on her either, I could tell. Her eyes looked so sad, and I'm sure that if she could cry, she probably would.

"And C-Charlie?" I choked, expressing some of her emotion. My eyes were starting to swim, and I blinked back the tears.

I would not make this harder for my family.

"He needs to stay, Nessie."

Jacob cleared his voice but said nothing. He looked uncomfortable. He was obviously upset by my emotion. He sat very close to me on the leather sofa. I could feel his skin on mine, and I could feel the connection we shared. It was like an elastic band, pulling us closer together.

When we were apart, the world was a horrible place. Everything was wrong. We couldn't be apart for long. Despite the feeling, we had spent more and more time away from each other. Jacob had been giving me 'time to get used to the changes'. We would be spending even less time together when most of my days would be spent in school. Perhaps it was for the best – perhaps it would help me get over this phase, or whatever it was called, and then Jacob and I could be together.

"Where are we moving to?"

"We were going to go to Alaska. But the Denali's are having some trouble keeping secret from the local population. We don't want to attract any more attention with the Volturi than we already do… So we are looking somewhere a bit more - " My father hesitated and glanced quickly at Jacob – " We need to get out of the US entirely."

"Okay… so where are we going?" This could be exciting, I thought. I would miss Charlie, of course, but the idea of exploring a different place, a different continent, was very attractive to me. Something gave me the feeling that my father was not quite telling me the whole story though.

My mother smiled her sad smile again. "We're going to have to learn a new language, sweetheart. We're going to Finland."

I had no idea where that was - let alone what language they spoke. And why there? Why so far?

"It's in Skandinavia. Europe." My father replied, reading my mind. "They speak a language called Finnish, though where we are going – Lapland – they also have an old language called Saami. It is far enough North to have 3 months of darkness through the winter. It is sparsely enough populated so that your mother and I can keep unnoticed in the summer months – and you'll have a break from school too, so maybe we can – take a vacation – or something. Renesmee…we are moving there so that this year, while things are still a little confusing, you are far enough from… from - temptation."

What – what was he talking about? Temptation? I looked at him, letting the confusion show plainly on my face. "You think I'll want to come back to see Charlie? Ah. You think Jake will come back to see Billy and Leah and the rest of the pack? Why can't he? Will he attract too much attention too?" I rambled, thinking out loud. A third of the people in the room could hear my thoughts anyway, I thought bitterly. I could just imagine a big brown wolf running across country every weekend to see his friends. Perhaps I would run with him, though I was much slower than him. Maybe he would carry me. But then I shook the thought away - people would notice a young girl and a huge wolf. This is why my parent's wanted us to move further, across the seas.

"Nessie." Jacob's voice was quiet and his expression looked pained, and something inside me clicked. My head snapped to look my Jacob in the eyes. They were glistening. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears. Something was not right about this. My stomach felt sick.

"You need to go… without me."

**Author's note:**

**_So there we go. Scene all set and ready to go. What adventures will happen to Bella in the wonderful land of the thousand lakes? How will she be able to endure them without her Jacob? Why, oh why does she need to be apart from Jacob while she 'changes'? All shall be revealed… soon…_**

**_Ugh, and it occurred to me how short these chapters are... I apologise and will try and make them longer, though I prefer to keep updating quickly. 2 Updates in one day - you can't complain! _**

**_Feedback would be very kindly appreciated!_**

**_Sara x_**


	3. Chapter 3

_There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery_

_the time when we were happy._

_~ Dante_

I had cried. I had sulked. I had begged and pleaded. I had tried everything. I didn't eat for over a week, and then found my resolve quickly faded when I chanced upon a human in the woods and nearly attacked them for my hunger.

I preferred human blood, though I could feed from animals and eat normal food too. Living with a bunch of vegetarian Vampires had kind of conditioned me into not eating humans. I do drink blood though, brought by Carlisle from the blood bank. But not often. It was like a treat.

But I could not go without eating anything.

I had tried starving myself in an attempt to change their minds. I had begged Emmett. I had cried to Esmee, but she just held me to her chest and stroked my hair until I had no more tears left to cry. Carlisle had refused to argue. Alice had told me it was "for the best", and Jasper had tried to soothe my anger. I had appealed to Rose. She was my closest ally. But even she had declined to help me on this matter.

Bella and Edward (I was refusing to call them mum and dad now) had stuck by their decision. Nobody wanted Jacob to come. They were all hoping that our bond would just go away with time apart.

Jacob even, was impossible to convince. Though he had been visibly hurt by my emotional outbursts, he was clear in his resolve. He would not be leaving Forks. He would stay. Away from me. The elastic bond between us pulled at my heart even at the thought of leaving him behind.

"It will be just for a year, Renesmee. You will visit in the summer. We can E-mail. It will give you the chance to change without me being there to confuse you. You have to understand… My being there would force us apart… just like it did with…oh -" He pulled me into a desperate embrace. He didn't really want me to go, but for some reason, he had to let me… "Please, will you go… for me?"

I pulled away from him and looked at his face. I could see the hurt in his eyes and I wanted to help him. At whatever cost. I would make it easy for him.

"E-mail." I stated simply, and forced my lips into a smile, even as the tears streamed down my face. I closed my eyes then, sighing in defeat. We were to leave tomorrow night. I had been packing all morning. It all seemed so…final.

Jacob's huge paw-like hands cupped my face and I felt his rough thumbs wiping away at my tears. His warm, soft lips brushed my forehead. I could feel something inside me, on the verge of awakening. I felt… a _need_. I wanted to be closer to my Jacob, wanted to feel those soft lips on mine…

And then he stepped back, dropping his hands.

"I'll see you again before you go." He whispered painfully. Then he just turned and walked away into the woods, leaving me stranded in the garden of our small cottage. The birds chirped, happily oblivious to my distress. The world was continuing on, unaware that for two people, everything had changed. I could hear the forest whispering, as it always had. Somewhere nearby, a frog croaked.

I knew my father – _Edward _– could hear me. But I would not shield him from my angry thoughts. He deserved to feel my pain. He had _made_ me this way. And now he was taking away the only thing in my life that made any sense. He was making me leave – I knew this, because my mother would never suggest it, not with Charlie here.

_I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I were like everyone else. I don't want to be a half-breed. I don't want to be me!_

I screamed the thoughts as loud as I could. I hadn't learnt to project my talent – I could only put my thoughts and memories inside someone's head when I could touch them. I wanted to tell the whole world right now.

But I couldn't.

Edward would hear me, though. And that was better than nothing. The tears were falling in earnest now, as I sank to the ground, my fists clawing at the ground in anger.

_It's not my stupid fault he imprinted on me. You keep taking it out on me like I have a choice. You're taking me away, like it's going to be easy on me. Expecting me to just – just – arghh!_

I couldn't even form coherent thoughts.

I know that he heard me. He never went too far, especially when Jake was around. I suppose he still didn't trust us.

But he did not react to my thoughts. He stayed inside the cottage, where I knew he would be when I decided to go in. And where his arms would encircle me and hold me as I cried some more.

My father would always forgive my outbursts. He at least understood how difficult it was to be me. After all, he could see inside my head.

It was nearly Dusk when I decided I had cried enough. In truth, the summer was nearing its end, and I could feel the chill in the air. My mother – or Bella, as I had so stubbornly decided to call her – was still visiting Charlie. She was breaking the news to him.

Ah Charlie, I would miss him so much too. His unconditional love for me was almost rivalled to that of Esmees. Though I could never be completely at ease with him, for his own protection, I would miss his love. And his camaraderie. I vowed to one day show him all the memories I had stored of our time together. He would see that I hadn't forgotten.

My thoughts of Charlie were sending me into a fresh wave of sadness. Still, I picked myself up, not bothering to brush the dirt off my clothes, and I dragged my feet into the house.

I had sat on my bed, numly, for less than a minute when there was a quiet knock on the door.

_Come in_, I thought. My dad would be the only person I wanted to welcome, right now.

There was a light ripple of a breeze, and then I was in his arms.

_I wish I could do that. I wish I could move like you._

"I know, sweetheart." He waited a moment and stroked my hair gently. "It will be okay, I promise. And don't you ever forget. We love you just the way you are, okay?"

_I know dad. Love you too._ I thought. And then I lifted my hand to his face – out of habbit, not of need, of course – and showed him a string of images, flashes of my life, flashes that clearly showed my family's love for me. I paused on an image of Jacob, and his hands on my face, wiping away my tears, his lips on my forehead.

Somewhere, in the distance, a wolf howled.

**Author's Note: **

**_I promise it will get a little happier soon. _**

**_I hope you are enjoying this, if you are reading._**

**_The next chapter sees the Cullens leaving Forks and arriving in the strange Finland. Their arrival sparks some interest in the locals… and Alice sees something frightening… _**

**_Thanks for the lovely reviews. It's nice to know you have enjoyed the story so far! Please give me any constructive feedback too._**

**_Sara x _**


	4. Chapter 4

_"The choices we make, _

_not the chances we take, _

_determine our destiny" ~ Unknown to me_

I stared out at the barren, alien land as our rental car skidded to a stop. The trees were tiny, and everything looked kind of grey. I poked my head out of the open window, feeling the cool air on my face. I could hear the swarms of autumn mosquitoes and felt a pang of jealousy toward them. At least _they_ could drink from whomever they wanted.

"Right, everyone out! We all have to get a photo for Renesmee's book!" Alice was already opening my door for me, calling out to the second car that had stopped less than a foot away from ours.

I had ridden with Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Rose. Rose had insisted on driving and the two boys had offered to sit in the back with me.

I knew they were trying to be protective. I was squashed a little by Emmett's huge frame, and Jasper sat behind Alice, stroking her hair absently, while sending out calm feelings for my benefit. I had refused to have my father read and react to my thoughts for the entire trip, so I had chosen this car. Most of the drive had passed in comfortable silence, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

And I had thought a lot. I still had Jacob's crumpled letter in my pocket, and I could practically remember all the words off by heart.

I had also been trying to learn some Finnish. Alice, of course, had seen herself and the rest of the family in Finland in a vision a couple of years ago, so she had started to learn. My father had read her thoughts and apparently argued with her, but the future had been set – just not the timeframe. They had held a family meeting one night when I was asleep and decided to keep the move a secret from me until it was necessary. No need to bother me too soon.

_No need to include me too much_, I thought bitterly.

As a result, everyone had a varying grasp of the language. Except for me. Handy.

Emmett groaned but nudged me in the ribs gently. At least, he thought it was gently. Rubbing my side, I stumbled out of the car and breathed in the fresh air. I caught so many scents. Pine… something like a deer… some other animal… maybe an elk? And something else…

"Mmm. I smell bear, do you?" Emmett grinned at me. He looked a little hungry, though we had all hunted before the long journey. I had never been allowed to hunt bear. Although I was stronger than your average human, I would probably never match the strength of a bear – not that anyone would let me try of course.

"Come on you two – I think Alice is about to throw a tantrum." Jasper interrupted my thoughts. He could probably feel my bitterness.

"No, no, Rose, I want Ness next to the sign – Edward, you can stay there…" Alice's shrill voice cut like a knife through the relative silence of the wilderness. She was pushing and shoving family members into place, all around a small green sign. It had foreign writing on it:

_Saariselkä_

_Tervetuloa!_

Saariselkä was a small village in the fells, and it was going to be our new home. I allowed myself to be shoved into position, and plastered a polite smile on my face. The wind played with my curls, and I pushed the light brown locks away from my face impatiently. Alice balanced the digital camera on the car, and checked the view.

"Okay everyone, smile!"

Alice had set the timer for 10 seconds, though she hardly needed a second to get to her place in the frame. She used the remaining 9 seconds to scowl at Emmett and my mother, who promptly plastered a happy smile on their faces too.

"Wait a minute… Edward, swap places with Carlisle. That's better – now you're next to Bella. And for goodness sake, Ness, you could at least _try_ to look happy!"

Alice took two more photos – "just to be sure" – and Rose insisted on a photo of me alone by the sign. Everyone else started piling back into the cars as Rose faffed around with the camera, trying to find the perfect angle. Alice was climbing into the passenger seat, talking animatedly to Jasper and Emmett. The other car was full, and they started to pull away.

"Don't worry – Carlisle is driving. I'll catch them up soon enough." Rose smiled, enjoying the challenge of a car-chase. I don't think she realised that I didn't _want_ to be near my father right now. I didn't _want_ him hearing my thoughts.

I stared past the camera, my well-practiced smile pulling at my lips. I had grown up with a camera shoved in my face every two minutes. Just then, something caught my eye.

Just behind Rose's head, far in the distance, there was a lone figure watching us. It was a man, for sure. I could definitely make out his short blonde hair. I tried to sniff at the air inconspicuously, as I didn't want to alert the others that we were being watched. No, he was downwind from us.

Clever.

Or just a coincidence?

I wondered if he knew what type of people (to use the term very loosely) were moving into the neighbourhood.

"Are you okay Ness?"

Damn it, Rose had caught me staring. She was looking from me and back at the fells, trying to figure out what I was seeing. She would be able to see more of the man than I would.

"What are you looking at?" She wrinkled her brow and cocked her head to the side, perhaps straining to listen.

She couldn't see him?

"Over there… a man – " I lifted my hand to point, and as I did, the man moved his hand, and it looked like he lifted his finger to his lips as if to say "shh", though I couldn't be sure from such a distance. A normal human would not have been able to spot him without binoculars. Though, Rose should be able to make out each hair on his head if she wanted to. Why could she not see him?

"No…honey, there is nothing there." Rose looked from me to the fell, and back again. "Guys, can you see anything over there?" She asked the others in the car, lifting her painted finger toward the fell.

"No, nothing at all." Jasper said, looking slightly worried about me.

"But there's definitely…" He was definitely there. I was absolutely certain about that. I could _see_ him. Or could I? The man looked like he was laughing, even as he spread his hands as if to say: "I'm real, see?"

Alice scrunched her eyes in concentration. A moment later she announced that she couldn't see anything unusual. Not that that meant anything anyway, as she couldn't see my future.

"Never mind. Maybe I'm tired." I lied, and stumbled a little on my way to the car, which also surprised me. I was usually quite graceful – a result of my vampire half. My powers gave me some grace, but not enough to have to conceal it too much from the humans. I just looked like a ballerina, or something. But not right now.

I stumbled again, and looked at the others. Jasper could feel my confusion, because he was out of the car again, looking at the fells where I had seen the man. He was still there, still staring.

I knew that Jasper couldn't see, because he shrugged his shoulders and got back in the car.

I spent the rest of the journey in confused silence, while Alice babbled endlessly. I realised that Alice was telling me what our cover story was going to be, so I made a conscious effort to listen. Perhaps I had imagined the whole thing – after all, two long flights and a 4-hour drive had tired me out. Nobody else needed sleep like I did.

"…. and Remesmee, you are going to have to call your mum and dad by name, okay? You only look a couple of years younger than them, remember. Emmett, you get to play big-bro to me – actual big bro, that is; Jasper and I are the youngest. Except for Nessie, of course. Bella and Edward are going to be married – they won't take off their wedding bands. So they'll have to get jobs. Edward is going to end up working in an office somewhere, and Bella will be working as a waitress in a tourist hotel…"

I zoned out again. She seemed to have everything planned. I was going to college, or college… or whatever they called it here - with Emmett, Jasper and Alice. Phew. No having to worry about dad's thoughts. Carlisle would probably take up a post as a doctor, and Esme would be a full time adoptive mum to all (or most?) of us. I hoped I would remember all this.

We were nearly there now. We had caught up with the other car, and Alice was getting more and more excited as she pointed out the few shops and buildings.

"That's where Edward is going to work. Oh. It's a Psychiatrist's! And that's the hotel your mum will work at, Ness…" I watched the white washed wooden buildings fly by with little interest. It was starting to get dark.

"Lets stop here – we need to introduce ourselves and buy some traditional food." Alice chattered, pointing at the smallest shop I had ever seen. Rose pulled into the tiny car park. There were some dry flowers in a pot by the door, which was propped open despite the autumn chill. Above the shop there was a sign with blue writing on an orange background.

"_Saariselan K-Kauppa_", it read.

The shop smelled of fresh bread, fish, and liquorice. It was hard to believe that someone could cram so much stuff into such a small space, but somehow the shop owner had managed. There was a youngish man (early twenties, I'd guess) at the till, reading a newspaper. He looked up and smiled cheerfully as we came in.

"Moi!", he nodded, his eyes resting on each of us in turn. He was probably wondering who we were, and thinking about our unusual movements and pale skin. Well, except mine, of course. I had inherited my mothers' human tendency to blush, and I could feel myself doing just that as his eyes met mine.

"Hei." Alice replied, and said something else in Finnish. The boy offered his hand to her and she extended hers to shake it.

At the exact moment that their hands touched, Alice's expression went completely blank for a few seconds. It was enough time for Jasper to notice and dislodge her hand with his, offering it to the man as a distraction. Alice's sharp intake of breath alerted me to her return back to the present, but it was my turn to shake the young man's hand, and I decided to try out what little Finnish I had learnt.

"Hei. Mi-nun nim- nem… _nimeni_ on Renesmee. Mika… si-nun nimesi o-on?" I said, slowly, and even to me, my words sounded clumsy. I couldn't even ask his name without stumbling on the words. How would I manage in school? But I decided to try anyway, as he flashed me a white smile.

"Hei – hyvinhan sina osaat suomea! Mina olen Matti. Tervetuloa kylaan."

Right. I got exactly half of that. He said his name was Matti, and welcomed me to the village. I think.

"He said your Finnish is good…" Jasper muttered quietly, feeling my embarrassment.

I liked Matti instantly.

We bought far too much food for just me (considering that I didn't really like human food anyway), but we had to keep up the image. Alice babbled some more in Finnish, sounding fluent. Emmett filled me in quietly. She was telling the man about our family, and making sure he knew that we were here to stay, not just tourists. The village got a lot of tourists – people liked the night less nights in the summer, and the snow in the winter. They came here for a snippet of the traditional Lapland-culture, and enjoyed Northern Lights and ski tours.

We each took a bag full of shopping (though any one of us could have carried all of them without breaking sweat), and thanked the man. As we walked out into the cool autumn evening, I was desperate to ask Alice about her vision.

"Not here." She hissed, and shepherded me back into the car.

**A/N:_ Wow, well, this chapter ended up twice the length of my other chapters. Hope you enjoyed!_**

**_I'm starting to get there now – the plot will start soon, I promise! I just needed to make the scene believable. I hope I'm doing an okay job._**

**_Reviews much appreciated – please let me know what you think, good or bad!_**

**_I am also looking for a Beta. If you have done it before, and are over 18yrs old (I am going to include atleast one chapter that will be rated M, for adult themes), I would like to hear from you. I'm not looking for someone to check spelling or grammar – I think I can manage on that front. I'm hoping for someone who can help with making my writing better._**

**_Thanks!_**

**_Next update will follow soon. It will include Alice's vision (if Renesmee can convince her to tell it), the letter from Jacob, and a meeting with the strange man…_**

**_Love,_**

**_Sara x_**

**_P.S. I seem to have forgotten to do this for the other chapters, so please note that this applies to the WHOLE story: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters, nor do I pretend to. I do, however own this plot and a couple of extra characters that I will include later. In other words, if you do not recognise it, it's mine. Feel free to borrow them with permission though! _**


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Nessie, _

_I'm sorry I didn't come to see you before you went. Well – I did, but you just weren't awake. I couldn't face saying goodbye to you and I didn't want to see you upset. You have to understand that this is for the best. Nobody knows what will happen when you change, and I want to do this right. We have nothing to compare this to. You're the first (sort of) human-werewolf imprint to grow up._

_I know we are supposed to be together. I just want to give you the choice. Use this year to explore your options. I love you, and hope that your love for me will grow too. When you are ready, I'll be here._

_Yours forever. _

_Jacob x _

I crumpled up the letter for the third time and threw it in the trash. Wiping furiously at my tears, I stormed over to the window.

Autumn arrived early here. The leaves were all changing and falling to the ground. Out of my window I could see the lake reflecting the setting sun. Silhouetted against the backdrop of of pink and orange were several small rowing boats. People liked to fish here. I calmed as my eyes took in the beauty of the scene. So peaceful. It contrasted hugely with my emotional turmoil, and even as I cursed myself for doing it again, I stomped over to the trash and fished out the crumpled letter.

"Damn it." I muttered to myself, as I smoothed out the smudged letter, folded it twice, and tucked it under my pillow. I had no self-control.

"What's up sweet?"

I gasped. Jasper had sneaked up on me, clearly having felt my emotion, even through the thick wooden floor. He missed nothing.

"Nothing." I lied, and picked up my lightweight jacket and a burgundy hat. "I'm going out."

Jasper said nothing, but sent a wave of calm towards me as I slipped on my boots. He at least understood how hard it was for me. I lifted my hand to his face and showed him what was on my mind. Jasper was easy to talk to. He knew I needed some alone-time, and nodded quietly.

"Go out of the window". He whispered quietly, lest the others hear "I'll cover for you. Just don't be back too late."

I smiled and nodded my thanks. The second floor window was a fair jump for me, but I could easily do it without being hurt. Jasper liked to train me. The others would have wrapped me in cotton wool and taken me down the stairs. Jasper had never been convinced that the Volturi would leave me alone, and so would spend any time he could get away with, training me to make the most of my vampire side.

I knew my father – _Edward_, as I had to call him now – would hear my thoughts if he were around, so lucky for me, he had gone to town to look for work with my mother – _Bella_. Damn. It was going to be difficult to stop calling them my parents. Well, maybe if I just didn't learn the words 'mum' and 'dad' in Finnish, I could manage. Boy, I was going to struggle in school, I thought desperately, though I didn't feel the accompanying panic thanks to Jasper's calmness.

I opened the window and the cool autumn air pulled at my curls. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out of the window. Landing smoothly in a crouched position, my hands ruffling the newly fallen leaves, I looked up at Jasper and grinned. I could tell that he was pleased.

"_Thanks!"_ I mouthed, and disappeared into the woods as fast as my feet could carry me.

I ran for over half an hour. I made it much further than any human would in three hours, though any Vampire would have outrun me five times over, had they tried. I thought of nothing but the feel of the dry earth beneath my feet, or the twigs scratching at my skin. I hoped they didn't draw blood, as it would make things difficult when I decided to go home. Though, I would probably heal by that time. My heart pumped the blood around in my veins ever faster, and I felt a strange thrill at pushing my body to its limits. Exhilarated I ran, and almost forgot all about my troubles.

I finally allowed my feet to slow down into a normal human walking pace as I neared a clearing on top of a fell.

A beautiful view stopped me in my tracks.

As far as the eye could see, tree-covered fells stretched and met the horizon. The sun was setting to the West, and little tufts of clouds were dyed a million shades of pink and orange. Its reflections glinted off the little lakes and ponds in the valleys that were connected by small steams and rivers. I could hear the rushing water of a rapid somewhere close by but out of sight. Apart from that, it was strangely…quiet.

It was as if the animals could sense that I was different. I sniffed the air experimentally. Pine…Turning on the spot, letting my eyes drink in the view, I carried on sniffing. Trees… pine needles, leaves… that musky smell of the woods, but not a single living animal. But what was _that_…?

A twig snapped behind me, even as the smell assaulted my nostrils. I whirled to face the stranger, my curls obscuring my view for the fraction of a second. I let out a low hiss and crouched into the defensive position that Jasper had taught me.

The stranger held both his hands up to me, palm facing upwards to show that he meant no harm. His eyes were blood red, but his smile held no threat. I straightened slowly, feeling slightly embarrassed to have reacted like that. I regarded him carefully, still keeping my distance.

The man was in his early 20's. How long he had been that age for, I didn't know. He had longish blonde hair, windswept and messy. I could see the outline of his muscular body under the tight brown t-shirt that he wore. His skin was pale, and slightly shimmery in the fading sunset.

He was definitely a Vampire – apart from the obvious, I could smell it. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I checked myself for blood. I had felt the twigs scratching at my hands and neck, and I was distinctly reminded of my own mortality. I was half human, after all. Vampires could feed on me, and I could die. I just wouldn't age, after this year. Satisfied that the twigs had not broken my skin, I relaxed a little. The stranger was still standing there, silently waiting for me to say something, I think.

"Err… Hei. Mina o-olen Renesmee." I introduced myself in shaky Finnish. I went no closer to the stranger. He could be dangerous. How did Alice not know that there was another Vampire in the neighbourhood? I cursed myself for stupidly running so far without letting anyone know where I was going. I cursed Jasper for letting me.

But then the stranger spoke; all thought and worry left my mind immediately.

"Hi Renesmee. I'm Aalto. What brings you so far from home?" he said, in an almost perfect English accent. His words reached me like a wave of silk, and sent my head spinning. I felt dizzy.

"Oh. You're English?" I said stupidly, and the stranger – Aalto - chuckled.

"No, I studied there for a while."

"I didn't know there were other Vampires here?" I made the statement sound like a question.

"My brother and I have lived near Inari for a while. We have a good cover." He shrugged. "We feed on the tourists."

I shuddered. These vampires were not vegetarians. Though I had drank human blood, it had always been willingly donated, bought from the blood bank. Though the smell was sometimes tempting, I could never feed from a human.

"I'm supposed to be going to school in Inari." I said, conversationally. I wondered if Aalto cared. I wondered if he was planning to attack me for my unusual blood.

"That's close to my place." He said, and smiled. "You're not a vampire."

Uh.

"Err…No. I'm sort of… different." I mumbled, as he took two steps closer. His eyes looked predatory, even as the grin on his face widened.

"You have a heartbeat. I can smell your blood." He was very close now, and I dared not move, for fear of stirring the hunting instinct in him any further. I had to make him understand that I was half Vampire. Perhaps that would save me. But I was powerless to move, and I could not speak. I felt strangely…weak.

"I like your smell… it's…" He inhaled deeply, a long finger reaching out to touch my neck. "_Wonderful."_

He leaned forward, closer, until his lips touched the sensitive skin below my earlobe. My heart fluttered wildly, but I was still frozen. This was it. I was going to die. Even as the realisation dawned on me, I struggled to focus. He was _kissing_ my neck. Something stirred within me, and a shiver ran down from my chest, all the way to my toes. My knees felt weak.

It felt _good_.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A/N: Dun dun duuuuunnnn! **_

_**So, I hereby give you my very own, sexy vampire guy called Aalto. I'll give you a little sneaky peak into the next chapter… Aalto has a power. So does his brother, Vaara. You haven't met him yet. **_

_**I'd love to see if anyone can guess what their powers are? Hint – their names mean something in Finnish. Hehe! Okay, so Aalto is difficult to figure out. But his brother, well… let me just say that I would prefer Aalto any day! **_

_**Possibly the chapter after the next one will contain scenes of an adult nature –yes, lemons! So the rating will change to 'M'.**_

_**Sometime in the near future, Jacob will visit. **_

_**Okay, there's enough spoilers for you. I'm pleased to see that there are quite a few readers. Please spread the word to others if you like this story. And please, please please let me know if you like where I'm going with it. I can't promise I will change the story line (the plot is pretty set) but I can probably include more or less of bits if you want. **_

_**Ta very much to the people who have reviewed so far. I appreciate!**_

_**Sara x **_


	6. Chapter 6

…_I was powerless to move, and I could not speak. I felt strangely…weak. _

"_I like your smell… it's…" He inhaled deeply, a long finger reaching out to touch my neck. "Wonderful." _

_He leaned forward, closer, until his lips touched the sensitive skin below my earlobe. My heart fluttered wildly, but I was still frozen. This was it. I was going to die. Even as the realisation dawned on me, I struggled to focus. He was kissing my neck. Something stirred within me, and a shiver ran down from my chest, all the way to my toes. My knees felt weak._

_It felt _good_. _

The shiver grew into a wave, and it carried on, like electric, up and down my body. I could only think of him, his presence, and his unique _smell_… I was inches away from dying. I knew it would only take one quick move with his teeth and he would suck me dry. The wave was both incapacitating and fulfilling. I couldn't move but I really didn't want to either. I managed to turn my face towards his, now trailing soft kisses down my neck, towards my collarbone. I heard a sigh as I began to fall toward his strong body, and realised with some surprise that it had escaped my lips. I wanted his lips to carry on exploring, to touch every inch of my…

Aalto let out a low growl, and seemed to force himself to take a step back. In that instant, I seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had put me in. I blinked, trying to clear the left over haze in my mind, as the waves of his power ebbed and faded. I blushed furiously as I realised what had gone through my mind. Never before had I felt such emotion, and never had I felt feelings or sensations like I had with this stranger.

"Whoa. What just happened?" I breathed, quite aware of my heaving chest and wide eyes.

"I… apologise. That was not fair of me." He seemed like he was still trying to compose himself. "I have this… power. You really did not stand a chance."

"What power?" I asked, curious now. Why was I still here? Why hadn't I run away screaming yet?

_Because you wouldn't stand a chance running from him, _a small voice in my head reminded me. Half human, remember? My eyes swept over his body again, taking in his tall, muscular frame. He was not as big as Emmett or as tall as Jasper; nevertheless, he looked fit. His strong vampire legs would catch me in two seconds flat if I tried to run.

"Why do you not tell me more about yourself, Renesmee?" He was evading the subject. He two more steps backwards, and then took a breath. I realised he had been holding his breath. He wanted to _eat_ from me. I was used to visiting vampires acting a little strange around me, but never had I had this problem. Perhaps Aalto was very hungry. I looked at his blood red eyes for a moment and deduced that he had probably eaten yesterday, at the least.

He had not asked me what I was, though. Surely he must _smell_ that I was different from normal humans?

"Okay. What do you want to know?" I asked, slowly, keeping my body still, so I didn't disturb the air and send his head reeling with my scent again.

"Well." He sat down on the ground and patted the space next to him. "You're not a vampire. But you're also not human."

"Wrong," I sat down next to him slowly, still cautious, though he seemed to be in control of himself. "I'm a bit of both."

"I am not sure I understand."

"Well, my mother got pregnant and had me when she was still human. She was changed just after I was born. My father is a vampire. I get the worst of both worlds really." I thought for a moment. "What power have you got?"

He looked up at me sharply. "You're making this hard for me." He mumbled.

I didn't understand. I was about to ask what was so difficult, when he looked right at me and showed me a dazzling smile. He had very straight white teeth and cute little dimples. I was completely distracted again. I could feel the waves starting to crash inside me again, and for a few seconds, I was lost to the feeling.

"My power is complicated." The waves disappeared as he looked away.

"I'm sure I can keep up"

He smiled at me again, but there were no waves this time.

"I can… control people. I can control their powers actually. I send waves that interfere with their minds… It is difficult to explain." He looked slightly unsure. Perhaps he was debating how much to tell me. A vampire's power is usually a closely guarded secret – at least when it comes to total strangers.

"Can I show you my power?" I lifted my hand towards him.

"What do you do?" He flinched a little when my warm hand touched his face.

I didn't answer. I tried to flood his mind with images of Forks. But I just couldn't. It was like I had forgotten how to do it. It scared me, until I remembered what he had said about his ability. _He could control powers_.

"You're shielding me?"

He grinned. "Tell me what you do and I will let you in."

"I won't hurt you, I promise… I… I have to show you it."

He regarded me for a moment, and then he dropped the shield. I knew, because everything felt different, though I hadn't noticed anything had changed in the first place. It's like when you are in a room and grow accustomed to a smell, like the smell of burning candles, or food. You walk outside and get some fresh air, and come back in and the smell hits you as if it hadn't been there all along.

Tentatively, I touched his cheek with my fingertips. I closed my eyes and concentrated on slowing down the images in my head. I showed him some of my early childhood memories, and I showed him my parents. I wasn't sure why, but I carefully censored Jacob out of the images. When I opened my eyes and pulled my hand back, Aalto was staring at me with wide eyes.

"You have a lovely gift."

"Thanks," I said, feeling myself blushing.

"What I do is kind of… different. It started when I was first changed. I could shield myself from…anything. I could go invisible to the people I wanted to avoid… and now I have trained myself to use the power – I think of them as waves – to control the minds of people. People – _humans _- are very easy to control like that. Vampires, a little more…_challenging_. Though if they have a power, I can harness that. I can use it to my advantage. I could make you show me your deepest, darkest secret moments. Or I could take away your ability completely." He stopped, aware that he had given away too much to a complete stranger.

"So, let me get this straight." I processed the information carefully. "You can control human minds… you manipulate vampire powers… and you can be invisible?" Something about that made the alarm bells ring in my head, but I couldn't think…

"Oh - " Now I had it. At the sign! The strange man in the distance!

I didn't trust my voice, so I put my fingers back on his cool skin and showed him the scene from the sign, and the strange man on the hill. He chuckled quietly and nodded.

"Yes, I was watching you. I was curious. It's not often one sees such a large coven. Especially around here."

"Why did you show yourself to me?"

"Like I said, I was curious. And you were different from the others. I was standing downwind from you all, and caught your scent. I knew you were not one of us."

Oh.

It seemed a little strange to me, but hey ho. My life had never been exactly normal. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I wondered why I felt so at ease with this relative stranger. Perhaps he was manipulating my human half again. I searched within me for some echoes of the waves that he could send, but did not feel anything. Suddenly, I heard the faintest sound of footsteps running towards us.

Aalto was on his feet and in an animalistic crouch in front of me before I could even blink.

"Stay behind me Renesmee." He instructed, his voice tense. "This one's dangerous."

"Who is it?" I whispered, and then I froze. I did, in fact, _feel_ danger.

"My brother."

* * *

**A/N:**

_**Hurrah! Yet another update. 2 in one day! You won't be so spoiled like this when I go back to uni next Monday. But maybe I can get most of the story done by then! **_

_**I got sick of reading about genetics, and saw the amazing reviews you guys had left, so decided to update again. Your alerts, favourites and reviews are spurring me on, so keep them coming. And if you like this story, let others know about it **_

_**I want one of you to tell me what Aalto's brothers' power is!! Come on! Have a guess! You're smart people!**_

_**The next chapter may have an 'M' rating, just to warn you. Or it may not. Tell me what you think I should do. ;) **_

_**Sara x**_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**_**: The following chapter contains a sexually explicit scene. If you are under the age of 18, please do not read it. It has been given the rating 'M'**__**. **_

_**I will summarise what happened at the start of the next chapter, so you can just skip this one. I promise you won't get confused**__! _

* * *

_~Jacob~_

* * *

I stood in the shadow of the woods, staring at the scene in front of me.

They were leaving.

My Nessie looked so sad, so withdrawn. She clutched my letter in her hand as she stepped into the car gracefully. She had been crying, I could tell. It took all the willpower I had to stand here and watch, and to not run over to her in my wolf-form and scoop her up. How long would it be before I could feel the warmth of her skin against mine again?

I knew she didn't feel the same way about me – yet. The change had only taken place within me in the last couple of weeks. It was as if I suddenly saw my little Nessie in a whole different way. It was as if she was a different person to the cuddly little child I had helped bring up. This is why I needed to give her some time. It was not what I wanted, but it was what _she_ needed, and every bone of my wolf-body knew it. I had discussed this with Edward, and he had agreed wholeheartedly to get his daughter away for a year. Of course he would have. He didn't want me to be with her _like that_.

He didn't understand.

But as I watched the cars pull away from the Cullen's oversized drive, I couldn't help myself. The elastic bond between us was just _too strong_.

I would follow her. I _had_ to follow her.

She would never have to know. I could keep my wolfy eyes on her, and stay down-wind. I would sleep in the woods. I could just watch her, going about her normal life. She would have no idea, but I could keep her safe.

_Don't be an idiot, Jake_. Leah's thought invaded my head as I took two steps forward. _You promised me._

I didn't have time for this. I would have to start running soon if I wanted to keep up with the cars. And what would I do when they got on the plane? I would figure something out. But I didn't want to hurt Leah either.

_I'm sorry, Leah… I wish you could understand. _

_I understand. You have started to feel things for her, and you've forgotten all about_ us_._

I felt a pang of guilt. Leah and I had discussed this already. Our relationship was always going to end when Renesmee grew up. We both knew this. I loved Leah, in my own way. And I knew that she loved me. But I couldn't fight the incredible force that drew me to my soulmate.

_I know Jake. But you promised me a year, and that's all I ask. _I heard her approaching. She was behind me now. I let out a low growl.

_Ah Leah, go away_.

But Leah could no longer hear me. I whirled on the spot, and saw her naked form a few metres behind me. I couldn't help the stirring of lust as my eyes raked in her toned body. It was partially obscured by the shadows, and I strained my eyes to see more. She stood, willing me to change with her eyes.

She was keeping me here, the only way she knew how.

I growled again and turned my back to her. I could no longer see the cars, nor could I hear the soft purr of the engines. My Nessie was _gone_. I was so angry, so frustrated, and so powerless to do anything. But this was the only way.

"Please, Jake. I need you here. Let you make it better for you. Let me take your mind off her."

Leah's voice was so pained that I turned toward her and changed into the form she preferred. Without thinking, I closed the distance between us and crushed her warm body to mine. I was not gentle. I let instinct take over as I touched her body. All the hurt and anger and frustration that I was feeling made my arousal more desperate. I _needed_ to be close to someone.

Leah moaned into my mouth and opened it, letting my tongue explore freely. Her body molded itself to mine, giving in without a fight. It was what she wanted too. My caresses became more urgent, and I digged my nails into her pert ass, lifting her up. Before I realised, I had her pinned up against a tree, the bark no doubt cutting into the delecate skin on her back. I didn't care. She would heal. She wrapped her legs around my waist and arched her back, throwing her head back. She was mumbling something, low sounds… but I was too far-gone to pay attention.

I didn't bother to feel if she was ready. My throbbing erection needed a release. I pushed myself into her quickly, and started pounding, hard and fast. I watched her gasp in joy? Extacy? Pain? I didn't know and I didn't care. I felt her long fingernails digging into my shoulders, and raking along my back. I dimly realised that she was screaming my name.

Her body shuddered and I was lost as I released myself into her.

It took a few minutes for us both to catch our breath. When I finally looked into her eyes, I was horrified to see her eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry Leah… I didn't – I – did I hurt you?"

Leah smiled at me sadly. "No, Jake. I'm just glad you decided to stay."

* * *

**A/N: **

_**Sorry to break it to you Leah, but I'm not sure he will stay! Hehe. **_

_**This was my first attempt at writing anything remotely lemony. I thought I would practice with these characters before letting myself lose with Renesmee. Please, please give me some feedback on it. What was good? What was bad? Apologies that it was quite short. I didn't want to over-do it. **_

_**Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed – your kind words are spurring me on to make this story a much more lengthy, in depth one. And above all, it's making me want to update more often! I would reply to you all individually. But I have no idea how, and I would rather spend the time writing more for you. **_

_**Nobody has guessed what Vaara's talent is! Come on! I may just keep you hanging a bit longer… **_

_**Sara x **_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

_**Thanks to those of you who skipped the last chapter, but have still continued to read on! I really appreciate it. So, basically the last chapter was a short scene where Jacob had to watch Renesmee leave. Leah was there to…uh…comfort him, and to stop him from following Renesmee. From the scene, you get the impression that they have been seeing each other for some time. Leah mentions that Jacob had promised her 'a year'. Jacob finds some small comfort in Leah, though his heart now lies with Renesmee, who is not yet ready for him. **_

_**Thank you to mrslautner28, for giving me honest feedback – she wondered why everyone has to 'throw Leah into the mess'. I haven't read any stories like that so far – I'm quite new to this site. I think it made sense to me. A 17yr old lad –oops… how old is he really? 24? Who is single and sees a girl naked and shares her thoughts… and there was some evidence of a bit of a love/hate relationship between them in the books. Maybe others have picked up on that too! She was a convenient, ready female character that I didn't have to develop too much. And I kind of like the horrible tragedy that this is the second time that Leah has fallen for someone who has imprinted – call me mean. It may all end pleasantly for her yet. But this is a Renesmee story, not a Leah story. She is just a little used and abused extra. **__**I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story.**_

_**Thank you also to Kellie - who came very close with her guess as to Vaara's power... Well done :) **_

_**And Haha, Jessredbird. Your reaction to the last chapter really made me giggle. I hope I don't disappoint!**_

_**So, here goes…**_

_~ Renesmee ~_

"_Stay behind me Renesmee." He instructed, his voice tense. "This one's dangerous." _

"_Who is it?" I whispered, and then I froze. I did, in fact, _feel_ danger. _

"_My brother." _

Just then, the vampire came into my view. He looked very similar to Aalto. I guessed they must be twins. There was that same messy blonde hair and the same firm and muscular body. But no matter how similar they were in looks, the auras that they gave off were distinctly different. Even if I didn't feel comfortable with Aalto, I felt relatively _safe_. From the moment that his brother entered the clearing, I was frightened for my life.

My heart froze for a beat, then raced back to life, double time. My eyes flitted around the clearing, searching desperately for a way out. Aalto straightened and started to walk toward his brother, very slowly. It took me a moment to realise that that were talking to each other in very low murmours. I could hear them, of course, but I could only catch a few words, for they were talking in Finnish. I cursed my lack of knowledge of the language.

I struggled to control my breathing. I had never been so afraid in my life, and it threatened to choke me. It was taking my breath away. I felt unable to stop it crashing down on me. No wonder I had sensed danger. Every inch of me wanted to flee from the feeling. I didn't understand. I knew it was only moments before I would pass out for lack of oxygen.

"Renesmee. This is my brother, Vaara. Vaara – Renesmee." Aalto indicated for me to come to him.

I gulped. "I- I… think I need to go home now."

"Vaara – would you stop – you are making her uncomfortable." Aalto chided his brother, and the feeling of intense danger started to fade. I smiled at Aalto, shaky despite myself. I had never been around when Jasper had used his ability to instill fear in people, but I supposed this would be what it would feel like. I would have to ask him about that.

"Apologies." Vaara grunted, but did not look at me. He was glaring at his brother. I had a feeling that there was some animosity between the two of them.

"Renesmee was just telling me about her…ability." Aalto took my hand, and as he did so, the strange waves started to roll over me again. I felt… safe.

That feeling of safety also made me feel brave. Perhaps a little foolheartedly, I stepped closer to the stranger, trying to make eye contact.

"What is your ability?" I asked, but regretted asking as soon as the words left my mouth. Vaara hissed, and Aalto tugged me back by my hand, pulling me close to his body.

"Don't look at his eyes."

I was confused. It sounded ridiculous to me. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I dropped my gaze, fixing it carefully on a twig on the ground. I remembered the feelings of danger from just moments before. I had feared for my life. That was real.

"Ala unohda." Vaara snarled at his brother. I processed the phrase in my head and tried to translate it, but in the heat of the moment… that was it. '_Do not forget'_. Forget what, exactly?

I was about to ask, but just then my heart started pounding again, and I felt the fear gripping at my chest, even as Aalto held my hand, tighter than before. I gasped, drawing in a ragged breath. My vision was getting cloudy.

And then it was over, as suddenly as it had begun. I looked up to find Aalto's eyes on mine. He looked concerned.

"Wh-what was…" I managed to stutter, before my knees gave out.

Aalto supported my weight easily, and lowered me gently into a sitting position. My vision swam in and out of focus, and I felt sick. I had never felt like this before. I was always so strong. I was not a human – but I felt weak now. I took a deep, steadying breath through my nose.

"That was my brother." His voice was soothing.

I retched, leaned away from him, and threw up. The sick kept coming, blood red, and my stomach tensed and convulsed. This carried on for a few minutes, and tears streamed down my face.

"My god, I have never been sick…why…?" I gasped, wiping my mouth on my sleeve.

"My brother…just tried to kill you."

I looked at him, blankly.

"He has this gift. The gift of "danger", he calls it." Aalto smiled at me grimly. "He can make people feel so frightened, that their body just gives up. His gift works best on Vampires. We think it's because Vampires have stronger instincts. The danger-instinct elicits fear. It is difficult to kill a Vampire, but Vaara has developed his gift so much, that he is dreadfully close to being able to do it, just by using their own instincts against them."

"So…" My head hurt as I tried to process all this information. The light was fading fast, and I wondered if my family would start to look for me. "How come I'm not dead?"

"I can shield, remember. As long as you are connected to me, I can interfere. He is my brother. We have grown together. I cannot manipulate his powers – he is too strong for that and he knows my power too well. But I can protect myself from it. And I held your hand… and here you are." Aalto sighed. "He is not a bad person, Renesmee... he just has some... temper problems."

"Uh-huh." I nodded, rolling my eyes. I didn't think I wanted to get to know this stranger, after all. His brother was a complete monster that had tried to kill me for no reason at all, and there he was, making excuses for him. Not to mention, that this vampire was in no way a vegetarian, and I could easily be his next meal. I stood up, intending to leave, but felt too dizzy to move any further. Another wave of nausea washed over me.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. My family will worry. I told them I would be back before dark." I said. Even to me, my voice sounded weak.

"Then, I will take you home. I will make sure you get back safely."

"Not a chance. My dad's a mind-reader. As soon as I get in, he'll know exactly what happened, and I can bet a wolfs tail that he will come looking for you. It will be better if you are further away. And Alice will be able to see you coming."

"Renesmee, darling." I drew a sharp breath at the sentiment, and his waves started to wash over me again. I leaned into him for support, savouring his scent as I nuzzled my nose against his collarbone. "Have you not been listening to a word I have said?"

"Uh..?" I managed, feeling a different sort of light-headedness. I lifted my palms up to cup his face, and tilted my face towards his, eyes half closed in expectation. His skin was so soft…

"I can control things… remember?"

"Mmm-hm", I nodded, lifting my lips to his.

The waves crashed out of me and Aalto laughed. I immediately snapped back to my senses. This was too weird. I stared at him, exasperation plain on my face.

"Come on. I will take you home. And I promise not to do that again. It was just too much fun to not try it again. Do not worry about your family. I've got it covered. As long as you can keep from thinking about me after I leave, you will be fine."

"I'm sure _that _won't be a problem, especially after what just happened." I blushed, hiding my embarrassment with sarcasm. Aalto just chuckled and tugged my hand. As we left the clearing and started to run (at my speed) toward my house, I reflected on the evening, and all the strange feelings that it had stirred within me. There was no way I would be able to hide this from Jasper or my father.

This was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

**A/N: **

_**I hope you enjoyed. I really liked writing Vaara. He is such a bad boy! **__**He will most definitely feature more in the story. **_

_**Vaara means 'danger' in Finnish. Call me weird. I had to do it. **_

_**Please leave me a short note to tell me if you liked it. There are a LOT of people reading this story, adding it to favourites and alerts. So thank you for that – but when I hear from you personally, it spurs me to write more. Many thank you's to all who have left kind words so far! Love you guys! **_

_**Thanks. **_

_**Sara **_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Thank you for the lovely reviews. Please keep them coming – they make me happy!_**

It was dark by the time I got home.

As soon as I recognised my surroundings and new that we were coming close to the house, I insisted that Aalto come no closer. He looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and smirked.

I was half-expecting him to argue, but he did not. But as I turned to go home, his words stopped me in my tracks for just a second.

"I will see you again." It was not a question.

"When?" I squeaked, hardly recognising my own voice. What was this boy _doing_ to me? I still had my back to him, though every instict I had was screaming at me to turn around and face this stranger. My instincts were right.

I felt his breath on my neck, "Soon."

There were no disconcerting waves to accompany his voice this time, yet I felt something, stirring within me again. My skin tingled. I sighed, but only really realised that the sinful sound had escaped my lips after it was too late.

"I'm so dead." I murmured, thinking about how Jasper would spot my mood as soon as I walked within a hundred yards of the house. Edward would read my thoughts… and everyone would notice the tell tale blush creeping up my cheeks.

"Not yet." Aalto said gently, amusement – and perhaps a hint of something else, something much more sinister - colouring his voice.

Ah crap. He thought I meant _him_. I whirled around to face him. He looked a little surprised at my sudden movement, but did not react. I took an involuntary step back at the closeness.

"No – I was… I meant – It's just that my family are _so _going to murder me when they realise what has happened tonight." I stammered, blushing furiously.

He lifted a finger to cheek, and gently stroked it. It felt strange to me.

"Hmm. I told you, sweetling. You just go about your ways, but do not think about me near them. I will make sure they do not know I exist."

"Easier said than done."

He chuckled, and I turned, concentrating on my fairly limited grasp of the Finnish language. I would rehearse basic language skills in my head. That would surely keep the thoughts out. I took a deep breath, walked a few steps, and turned to wave goodbye.

But Aalto was already gone.

When I switched the computer on that night to check my mail, there were two messages from Jacob. I checked the date and time. Both sent today, one in the morning and the other an hour ago - as if he'd sensed what was going on.

I tapped my fingers impatiently as I waited for the mail to load. Hearing a slight noise from behind me, I turned. Dad. Crap. I instantly started to translate random words into Finnish.

_Forest – metsa. Tree – puu. Sea – meri. Wave – Aalto. – ahh! Shit – paska. Breathe, breathe, breathe…aah…_

"Hengittaa?" He offered, quirking an eyebrow. He had just told me what 'breathe' was in Finnish. I almost giggled.

I didn't know what to say, so I turned back toward the computer and saw with relief that Jacob's message had finally loaded.

_What's up Dad?_ I thought at him. In truth, I was impatient to read what Jacob's message said.

"I was just checking you were back. Jasper let slip that you'd gone for a run."

"You should stop prying into people's minds."

"It's not really something I can help." He looked amused.

"How did the job hunt go?" I asked, to change the subject.

"Yes, good, as Alice predicted. Your mom got a job in the hotel in town, and I'm now a Psychologist – hence why she saw me in an office."

"Great." I used the silent moments to translate more random words into Finnish, but always ended up at a word that somehow reminded me of what I was trying to hide. I was starting to break out in a cold sweat at the effort. I hated keeping secrets.

"Is there something you are hiding from me, Renesmee?"

My heart skipped a beat. _Shitshitshit!_ I swear I almost told him right there and then.

"Nothing that I want to share with you right now dad. Sorry. Listen. I have an email from Jake. Can you leave me to read it please?"

"Yes, sure honey. Sleep well tonight."

_I'm sure I wont_.

"Okay, I will, night."

If he caught my lie, he did not show it. Nevertheless, even as his voice dropped to a whisper, it sounded stern to me. "Your mom will be up soon to say goodnight. You two hardly ever talk now days. You should try and make an effort."

I nodded, and then he was gone. With a sigh, I started to read Jacob's messages.

_Hey squirt, _

_How was your trip? Long I bet. I hope you are okay and like your new place. Are you settling in okay? Have you met any people? Or wolves? Vampires? Hehe. _

_I am very sorry I did not come to say goodbye. I think it was easier for you this way. I miss you heaps, Nessie. I missed you the moment your car drove out of my sight – I was watching from the woods. I was so close to calling the whole thing off, but Leah talked some sense in to me. She said to say hello, by the way. _

_I'm ridiculously awful at all this computer stuff. I will phone you soon, I promise. Please write soon. _

_Love, _

_Your Jacob. _

I sighed. I wished he _had_ stopped the car. Though I completely understood Leah's point of view too. Leah and Jake had always been together, as long as I remember. But they both knew that when I changed, there would be some other changes too. We all knew that things were going to be different. I felt sorry for Leah, but this was just how it was always going to be.

I knew about the deal – I had heard Jacob discussing this with my mother when they thought I was asleep one night. Jacob had agreed to give Leah 'a year' before saying goodbye to her as a lover. I had thought it strange at the time, but I realised now that they were referring to my year away.

Jacob's second email was different, and far more urgent.

_Nessie, _

_I had this weird feeling earlier. Please let me know you are okay as soon as you get this. _

_Love you. _

_Jake_

I blinked and stared at the computer. Jake and I had never been apart for very long – and we had especially never been this _far_ apart for long before. Perhaps it was like a sixth sense for Jake – knowing when I was in trouble.

Though I was mad at him for staying behind, I also missed him terribly. So I typed a short message.

_Jake, _

_Yes, I'm fine_.

I paused and hesitated. What should I say about Aalto? I never kept secrets from my Jake.

_I have met some new, interesting people already._

There. That would do. Bend that truth!

_The house is beautiful and we live right by a huge lake. Everything smells of wood and forest around here – you would like it. Mum and Dad already have jobs. I'm learning Finnish pretty quickly, so I might not have any excuses in school after all. Other than that, I'm just trying to keep my thoughts to myself so Dad doesn't butt in all the time. _

_Everyone else is fine too. How is Leah? Tell her hi back. _

_It feels like I have a huge hole in my chest without you. I don't think I'll stand it for long. Please visit soon. I miss you. _

_Renesmee. _

After I switched the computer off, mom came in to say goodnight. She told me that Alice was being very strange, and I felt guilty. Aalto must be messing with her talent. It also reminded me to bug Alice about the vision she had in the shop about Matti – she had looked quite shook up after it.

I made conversation with my mother for a few minutes, which was nice, and hugged her before she tucked me in to bed tightly. It had been a long day.

I was asleep before she turned the light out.

**_A/N: _**

**_Next chapter will be more exciting, I promise! Aalto shows up again. And so does Matti. And we start to find out about Alice's strange behaviour. And I may even make Ness confide in Jasper. But I'm not too sure. Tell me what you think! _**


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